Sri Lankan President Sirisena axes defence secy, police chief over 'mishandling' of intel reports

Sirisena on Wednesday asked for removal of Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara over the mishandling of the intelligence reports in the lead up to Easter Sunday's bombings.

This handout photo taken and released by the Sri Lankan President's Office on April 23, 2019 shows President Maithripala Sirisena (3rd L) visiting St. Sebastian's church in Negombo, two days after a series of bomb attacks targeting churches and luxury hotels in Sri Lanka. - Sri Lanka began a day of national mourning April 23 with three minutes of silence to honour more than 300 people killed in suicide bomb blasts that have been blamed on a local Islamist group. (Photo by Handout / SRI LANKAN PRESIDENT'S OFFICE / AFP)

New Delhi: Hours after Sri Lanka admitted major intelligence lapses ahead of the devastating Easter Sunday bombings that claimed over 350 lives, President Maithripala Sirisena asked for the resignation of two top officials. Sirisena on Wednesday asked for removal of Defence Secretary Hemasiri Fernando and the Inspector General  of Police (IGP) Pujith Jayasundara over the mishandling of the intelligence reports in the lead up to Easter Sunday's bombings. This comes after the government indicated that heads will have to roll at the security level for failing to act on the tip-offs. As per reports , the top officials of the country have acknowledged that ahead of the attacks Sri Lanka had received intelligence about possible terror strike,  but both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe have said that they did not receive the information. While addressing a press conference, State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardene accepted that there has been  major lapses in the security arrangements. He said that the government have to take the responsibility. The President is planning to make some changes in the security establishments. President Sirisena on Tuesday assured the nation that he would take steps to curtail terrorism and bring back normalcy swiftly. He said that he will make some immediate changes in the high security positions as there was negligence in carrying out responsibilities. On Wednesday, Sri Lanka's opposition MP Wijedasa Rajapaksa told a press conference that he forwarded a letter to the President urging him to arrest both men. Sirisea said on Tuesday that he had no prior knowledge of the advance warning about the suicide bombings which are claimed by the Islamic State.